Can-filling machine



Nov. 5,1929. H. HANsEN/ I 1,734,166

CAN FILLING MACHINE /6 /7 8 6 7 58. G/ I l l .36 /4 T'To RIS/EQ( Nov. 5, 1929.

Q. H. HANSEN CAN FILLING MACHINE Filed nov. 12'. 1925 4 sufre-Sheet s A fro/TA/sx CAN FILLING MACHINE Filed Nov. 1'2; 1925 4 sheets-smt- 4 4' MEA/TOR Patented Nov. 5, 1929 itil - Linie CSV/"ALD H. HANSEN, OF MILWAUKEE, VSCONSIN, ASSIGNOB T0 HANSEN CANNING MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF CEDARBURG, VISCONSIN CAN-FILLING MACHNE Application filed November 12, 1925. SeriaIiNo. 68,511.

This invention relates in general to improvements in the art of measuring and packing fluent commodities, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction and operation of machines for automatically and accurately filling containers such as tin cans with fluent substances such as a mixture of corn and milk.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved can filling machine which is simple in construction and efiicient in operation.

Some of the more specific objects of the invention are as follows 'io provide a compact filler tively few movable parts.

To provide a can filling machine having a elatively small can circle and operable at high speed without wasting material.

To provide a machine for filling receptacles with fiuent substances, which will positively deliver an accurate quantity of material to each of the successive receptacles irrespective of the consistency of the substance.

To' provide a filling machinein whichdripping and splashing of the material is eliminated, and wherein overflowing of the cans when the filler is stopped, is positively prevented.

To provide can filling mechanism of variable capacity, the elements of which are readily adjustable to change the operating characteristics.

To provide a sanitary filler structure which having relamay be conveniently assembled and disman-V tled for inspection and cleaning.

To provide an automatic ller in which the use of comolicated valve mechanisms is avoided.

To provide a machine all parts of which may be manufactured at minimum cost and which may be operated andmanipulated by a novice.

To provide various other improvements in the details of construction of can filling machines whereby the efficiency is enhanced to a maximum.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

50 clear conception of embodiments ofthe various novel features and of the operation of devices constructed in accordance with the invention, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts inthe various views. y f

Fig. l is a central vertical section throughv an improved can filling machine especially i the improved can filling machine.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section through the can filling machine taken directly yabove the can supply, discharge and transporting mechanisms.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the material supply andmeasuring mechanism of the improved can filling machine'. 4

Fig.' 5 is a development of thematerial measuring mechanism showing the measuring and discharge plungers in various positions of adjustment.

Fig. f3 is an enlarged fragmentary section. through the material measuring mechanism, the section being taken through one of the measuring pockets and through the capacity varying mechanism.

Fig. 7 `is a fragmentary development of a modified form of track mechanism for moving the discharge plungers.

The improved corn ller specifically illustrated in the drawings, comprises in general a stationary hopper 36 communicating Vwith a conduit'50 and constituting a source of material supply; a stationary cup shaped casing 4 having a side inlet opening 22 and a bottom discharge opening 13 therein; a pocket element 3 rotatably supported within the casing 4 and forming an annular series of seven vertical substantially cylindrical measuring pockets 9; a displacement plunger 6 recipro- .cable within each of the pockets 9; a central rotary vertical drive shaft 2 for revolving the pockets 9 and the plungers 6 about the central axis of the casing 4; can supply meehanism for delivering empty cans 21 to the machine; a series of can hooks 28 operable by the shaft `2 and a guide 2Q cooperating n terial is delivered by gravity through the c onduit 50 to the successive pockets 9 and entrained air is free to escape upwardly through the conduit 50 and the hopper 36. .The casing 4 besides'providingV a support'for the shaft 2 and for the element 3, has a continuous annular outer wall the upper extremity of which provides a stationary roller track 18 as shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6.v Thepocket element 3 comprises an outer portion within which the pockets 9 are formed, a central sleeve member 45 rigidly attached tothe outer portion and having a lower recess engagingthe elongated driving block 11 formed integral with the shaft 2, anda cut-off plate 5-rigidly attachedto the lower end of the outer portion andy sleeveV member and having an annular series of downwardly converging discharge orifices 12 disposed eccentrically of the pock- V ets-v9.V The measuring pockets 9 have their sides remote from the axis and adjacent to the wall of the casing 4, open for communication. with the casing opening 22. Y

Each of the vertically reciprocable plungers 6 has a main body snuglyV fitting the adjacent cylindrical pocket 9, and also has a detachable slide 7 snugly fitting the interior surface of the casing 4 and coacting with the sidev edges of thelateral openings in theV pockets 9 to prevent rotation of the plungers within the pockets. The slides 7 are detachably connected to the plunger bodies by means of pins 14, which rotatably support the plunger actuating rollers 8. The lower Vextremities of the plunger 6 and of the slides 7 are provided with central depressions 26 thus making the pressing'faces of the plungers concave with respect to the eccentric discharge orifices 12 so that the downwardly moving plungers will tend to urge all of the confined material directly toward and through these openings.

Cooperating with the stationary roller vtrack 18 at the upper end of the wall of the casing 4, are vertically adjustable tracks 15, 16, 19, 20 and a removable normally xed Y' roller retainer ,17, the latter of which is'detachably secured to the casing 4 by means of bolts 58. The horizontal track section 2O and the inclined track sections 15, 19 are therefrom irrespective of the position of adjustment of the movable tracks. The upper inclined track section 16 is rigidly attached to Aand is simultaneously adjustable with the lower sections 15, 19, 2O and cooperates with the roller retainer 17 to gradually conduct the rollers 8 from between the track sections 15, 16 irrespective of the position of adjustment of these sections. The rigidly interconnected simultaneously movable track sections 15, 16, 19, 20 are rigidly associated with two vertical movable sleeves 37 which coact with stationary sleeves 40 secured to the frame 10. Threaded blocks 38 secured within the upper portions of the movablevsleeves 37 coact with the screw threaded upper ends of rods 39 which are rotatably supported within the stationary sleeves 40. A spiral gear 41 is secured to the lower end of each rod 39'and vcoacts with a spiral gear 42 associated with f tracks 15, 16, 19, 20 of Fig. 5, may be replaced byiother vertically. adjustable tracks 23, 24, 25, 27 having steeperrinclined portions, for the purpose of varying the plunger strokes. These substitute tracks are interchangeably cooper-able with the threaded blocks 38 and with' the fixed sleeves 40 and y y will fill cans 21 of larger size than those with which the tracks 15, 16, 19, 20 are intended to operate. The measuring and filling mechanism may be enclosed by means of in the cross frame 32. A bevel gear 30 is se- Y cured to the shaft 2 abovev its lower bearing, this gear 30 being drivingly connected to the can hooks 28 by means of vertical drive rods as shown in Fig. 1. A stationary can support 57 is supported'by the frame 10 between the gear 30 and the can hooks 28. The gear 30 is rotatable by means of a bevel pinion 31 secured to one end of the horizontal power shaft 33 with the opposite end of which a driving pulley 34 is associated. The pulley 34 is drivingly connectible with the shaft 33 by virtue of a aw clutch 59 which is operable with the aid of a lever 35 or by means of automatic stop mechanism 60 of thev type disclosed in Patent No. 1,557,455, granted October 13, 1925.

The can supply mechanism is of the type disclosed in Patent No. 1,339,060, granted 4, 1920, and comprises a can supply chute 47 cooperating with a rotary can feed drum 48 having a helical feeding projection 49 thereon formedv to deliver the successive empty cans upon the support 57 and into engagement with the successive can hooks 28. The feed drum 48 is rotatable by means of a horizontal shaft 52 journalled in the frame 10 and interchangeably operable by the gear 30 through the pinion 53, or by thehand wheel 51 associated with the outerend of the shaft 52.

The mechanism for delivering' the filled cans 21 from the machine comprises in general a discharge disk 54 rotatable by means of a vertical shaft which is-drivingly associated with the bevel gear 30, and a guide 55 adjustably supported labove the disk 54 in a well known manner.

During normal operation of the filler, the supply hopper 36 is provided with a mixture of corn and milk or any other fiuent substance, and the machine is set in motion by the application of power through the pulley 34, shaft 33, gear 30 and shafts 2, 52. As the pocket element -3 is rotated by means vof the vertical shaft 2, the pockets v9 revolve about the axis of the shaft 2 and are successively placed in communication with the supply hopper 36 through the supply opening 22 and the conduit 50. l/Vhen such communication is established, the plungers 6 are first elevated by the track 19 and are subsequently caused to travel horizontally in elevated position by the track 2O to completely fill a definite portion of each of the successive pockets 9 dependent upon the position of adjustment of the tracks 15, 16, 19, 20, see Fig. 5. As the successive pockets 9 are thus filled with measured batches of the material, they are cut off from f the opening 22 and are subsequently brought in communication through their lower discharge orifices 12 with the delivery opening 13 of the casing 4. The plunger rollers 8 then enter the space between the inclined tracks 15, 16 and the plunger'so are urged downwardly thereby forcing the measured batches of material from the pockets through the orifices 12 and the opening 13 into the cans 21 located below the pockets. The orifices L 12 are retained open until the lower faces of the plungers reach their lowermost positions within the pockets 9 whereupon the orifices are again cut off and subsequent measuring is effected. The formation of the end 56 of the delivery opening 13 is such that as the orifices 12 are gradually advanced over the upwardly inclined upper surface of the end 56, the upwardly moving plungers 6 draw the liquid from this surface into the adjacent pockets and subsequent dripping of material is positively eliminated. The concave formation of the lower ends of the plungers 6 also insures complete delivery of the. measured batches from the sides of the pockets 9 toward the discharge orifices 12. The successive filled cans 21 are delivered from the machine by the discharge disk 54 and guide 55, and the feed drum 48 automatically supplies empty 'cans 21 to the can hooks 28.

if a is desired to vary the fura is only nec- Wheel 44 toeither raise or lower the movable tracks 15, 16, 19, 20 thereby automatically varying the effective volumes of all of the measuring pockets 9. Suchadjustment may be effected Without removing the enclosing essary to manipulate the adjusting hand I cover In case it is desired to operate on tity of material'irrespective of the consist-V ency of the mixture.

The formation of the end 56 of the discharge opening 13 effectively prevents Vwaste of material by dripping and the downwardly converging delivery orifices 12 likewise-effectively prevent waste ofmaterial by splashing. It will also be noted that the can circle is of larger diameter than the diameter of annularity of the orifices 12 and that this diameter of annularity is greater than that of the axes of the measuring pockets 9. This construction of the elements enables theV pockets 9 to be placed very near to theicentral axis of rotation andv consequently per-- mits operation of the machine at relatively high speed without spilling the material. In view of the fact that each pocket 9 can only be supplied with a definite quantity of material exactly equal to the volume of the portion l of the can 21 which is to be filled, the filler may be stopped at any time without danger of overfilling the cans as with the prior machines.

If it is Vdesired to remove the plungers 6, it is only necessary to remove the cover 46 and to lift the successive plungers vertically from within the pockets 9 as they are brought to positions beyond the tracks 16, 17 by manipulation ofthe hand wheel 51. The

tracks 15, 16, 19, 2O are simultaneously removable upon release of the set screws which normally hold the threaded blocks 38 within the sleeves 37' or by running these blocks off of the upper ends of the rods 39. y The roller retainer is readily removable upon release of the bolts 58. The pocket element 3 is freely vertically removable fromA within the casing 4 upon removal of the plungers, whereupon lthe sleeve 45 and the cut-off plate 5 may be removed if desired.

It will be apparent that the operation of the filler is enti-rely `automat-ic and that the various adjustments may be conveniently effected. The sleeve 45 and plate 5 facilitate manufacture of the rotorfelement .3, and the construction of the plungers 6 is likewise facilitated by making the slides 7 removable. The plate 5 entirely eliminates the use of complicated valve mechanism and the entire structure is extremely simple.

vSome of the novel features of can 'filling f machine construction disclosed but not* sired to limit the'invention to the exact details of .construction and operation herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims, may

occur to4 persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent j j 1. In combination, a source of fluent material supply, means forming a measuring pocket having a side inlet opening and a restrict-ed lower end dischargeopening, a cas-v ing embracing said pocket forming means, means for revolving said pocket -within said casingr about a vertical axis to intermittently move 'the same past said source, a plunger movable in said pocket to withdraw material,

from said source into-said pocket through said side opening and to subsequently deliver said material rom said pocket through said end opening, andm'eans carried by said plunger and coacting with an end of said casing to move said plunger.

2. In combination, a source of fluent material supply, means forming a series of measuring pockets each having a lateral .inlet opening for receiving material from -said source and a restricted lower end discharge opening for delivering said material, a casing embracing said pocket forming means, means -for moving said pockets inA succession past said source to receive batches of mate-V rial therefrom, andV means associated with an end of said casing for deliveringv said batches-from'said pockets through said end openings.

8. In combination, a cylindrical cup shaped casing having an opening in the side wall and Y having another opening in the bottom thereof, an element forming an annular series ofr measuring'pockets' within said casing, said element having side openings for establishing communication between said pockets and said casing side opening and having a series of restricted end openings communicable with said casing bottom opening, and a plunger movable within each of said pockets.

4. In combination, means forming a series of movable measuring pockets each having an end discharge opening, and a plate coacting with the bottom of said means and having an opening communicable with said pocket discharge openings, the cut-oii' end of said plate opening being chamfered upwardly and-in the direction of travel of said pockets to eliminate dripping.

5. In combination, an element forming a plurality of measuring pockets, said element comprising a hollow outer member, a central sleeve member, and an end plate member, means for simultaneously moving said inembers about the central-axis of said sleeve member, anda casing supporting said element and havin@ supply and discharge openings communicatble with said pockets.

6. In combination, a rotary element comf prising an outer member forming a plurality of measuring pockets, an inner sleeveinember attached to said outer member, andv a perforated plate member attached to an end of vsaid outer member, and a stationaryvcasing rotatably supporting said element and `having supply and discharge openings com-V municable with said pocket-s. j y

7. In combination, means forming a measuring pocket movable about ank axis, a stationary casing cooperating with said means to inclose saidpoclret, a plunger movable within said pocket, a roller carried by said Y plunger and cooperablewith a wallv of said casing-to move said plunger, anda. roller retainer detachably associated with said casing adjacent tov said wall, said plunger and4 4 roller being freely removable upon release of A Y said retainer.

8. In combination, means forming a measuring pocket, a` plunger movablewithin said pocket, atrack for moving'said plunger, a sleeve secured. to said track, a stationary tliread coopera;-

uring pocket, a plunger `movable within said.V

. pocket, and means for adjusting the position ofsaid plunger krelative to saidY pocket, said adjusting means comprising inner and outer sleeves-and ya screw threaded rod for telescopically adjusting said sleeves.

10. In combination, means forming a pocket, a plunger movable within said pocket, a

track for moving said plunger, an outer sleeve secured to said track, a threaded block secured to said sleeve, a stationary inner sleeve supporting said outer sleeve, and a threaded rod rotatable within said inner sleeve and coacting with said block to move said track.

11. In combination, a casinghaving a bore yand an inlet opening communicating with the lower portion of vsaid bore, means rotatable within said bore and forming a series of measuring pockets successively communicable with said opening, each of said pookets having a restricted lower end opening located closely adjacent to the surface of said bore and remote from the bore airis, and a plunger `movable downwardly in each of said pockets. y

12. In combination, a casing having a vertical bore and an inlet opening cominunicating lwith the lower portion of said bore, rotary means cooperating with the surface of said vbore to `form a series ofmeasuring pockets.

successively communicable with said opening, each otsaid pockets having a lower end tively small restricted lower end opening located closely adjacent to the surface of` said bore, and a plunger. movable downwardly within each of' said pockets. l

14. In combination, a source of fluent material supply, means forming a series of measuring pockets each having an inlet formed to receive material laterally from said source and also having a restricted lower discharge opening, a casing embracing said pocket forming means, means for moving said pockets in succession past said source to receive batches of' material therefrom, and means associated with said casing for deliver-ing said batches from said pockets through said lower openings.

15. In combination, a source of fluent material supply, means forming an annular series of pockets each having an inlet formed to receive material laterally from said source and also having a restricted lower discharge opening, a casing having a cylindrical bore embracing said pocket forming means, means for revolving said pockets about the aXis of said bore to move the same in succession past said source so as to admit material to said pockets through said inlets, and means associated with said casing 'for delivering said batches through said lower openings.

16. In combination, an element forming a plurality of measuring pockets, a plunger in each of said pockets, a casing embracing said element and having an end forming a restricted discharge opening for each of said pockets, the opposite end of said casing forming a track, and adjustable means cooperable with said track to move said plungers toward said openings.

17 In combination, an element forming a series of pockets each having arestricted discharge opening, a plunger in each of said pockets, a casing surrounding said element and having an end forming a track, and a movable track section cooperable with said casing track to move said plungers relative to said openings. v

In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is aflixed hereto.

OSWALD H. HANSEN. 

